Lost & Broken
by That Dastard Cerberus
Summary: They were both lost and broken, and yet they found each other and became whole again.


He lost everything.

She lost everything, too.

He lost a lover, his parents, and almost his entire kingdom.

She lost her family, nearly lost her best friend and sister, and she nearly lost her freedom.

They were both losers, in a sense, left in the dust as everything was taken from them in one fell swoop.

They both ran from their destinies; him from his right to rule, her from her role as a I'Cie.

Some might call it fate when the two crossed roads.

It happened out of nowhere, no warning or hinting.

It just happened.

They were both lost, left to pick the broken pieces of their lives up and start anew.

Perhaps this is why they were suddenly attracted to each other, like a pair of fated lovers.

He remembered their first meeting well. The sun was high in the sky, and he was alone, playing his harp as he thought of sweeter days, with laughing children, dancing couples, and a beautiful woman with chestnut hair and a simple yellow dress.

It was during this time he first noticed her, walking solemnly through the streets, a look of hopelessness on her face. Maybe it was because he was thinking of Anna that he mistook this lost girl for his dead lover, but in the end, he ended up running through the streets, attemtping to catch up to the girl, hoping against hope his mind wasn't playing tricks on him.

While it might have been so, still, the meeting was written in the stars; he was sure. When he stopped her, he called her by name, only to be gently, yet awkwardly corrected.

Despair snatched his heart, and he crumbled on a stone. Was it the way she looked at him that made him speak? Was it perhaps the familiar look of loneliness and a broken heart that made her gaze at him with sympathy over pity? However it was looked at, it didn't change the fact that in the next hour and half, he broke, telling this mysterious girl everything that had been going through his heart and soul.

Maybe it WAS the familiar feeling that made her, too, share her story, and together, the two shared silent tears, sad laughs, and sympathetic touches until the sun disappeared beyond the mountain range.

When it was getting late, he excused himself, but before he returned to the castle, he asked for her name.

"Vanille," she had said with a smile. He returned it with a promise. "Let us meet again, Vanille."

They did meet again, in the same place. The first thing Vanille did was ask for his name, apologizing for forgetting to ask him before. He merely laughed and answered, "I am Edward." The next several minutes consisted of Vanille asking many questions about the place she was in, explaining she had somehow left Gran Pulse, her old home, and ended up here in Damcyan. Edward answered every question patiently, marveling over how such a person like her could see the horrors she did and still look forward to a bright day.

Then again, he was no different.

Every meeting he had with Vanille drew him closer to her, and her to Edward. He would sometimes bring his harp to play, other times they would wander through the markets (the first time gave Vanille such a shock due to the news that Edward was the king of Damcyan, and she had no idea), and sometimes they would admire the stars in the sky silently as time just passed them by.

Months went by like this. And with time flowing, so did their relationship. Edward began to invite Vanille to court. It was there he introduced her to Cecil and Rosa, who both happily accepted as a friend. During this meeting, Vanille gave a special request to Edward.

It was late, and all the guests had retired. Edward himself could not sleep, and thus he merely played his harp in his bedchambers in the light of the moon. A gentle knock sounded on his door, and he invited them in.

Vanille stuck her head in, asking if she could speak with him. He said and asked what was the matter.

Awkwardly, Vanille walked, playing with a strand of hair. The words mumbled off her tongue as she began, "Well, we have known each other for the past two months . . ."

Wonderful months, Edward had thought, but nodded to encourage her to continue. Gulping, she asked, "I hate to ask this of you, Edward, being that you're king and all, but . . ." Tears glistened in her eyes as she begged, "Please, can you help me find my sister Fang? She's very important to me. We promised to never get separated, and yet . . ."

It was then she broke down into tears. Edward merely held her close, choosing to save smoothing words for when she calmed down. And when she did, he promised to her he would do everything in his power to find her friend. He then stated his request to his friends and fellow royals, who all said they would keep an eye out for Vanille's sister. Cecil and Rosa even went as far as going out to send a search party. Edward did just as much, even more so, as he and Vanille would often visit various towns under diplomatic reasons while searching for Fang.

It was the day of Ceodore's birth when Fang was found. And she wasn't alone.

Somehow, some way, she had stumbled across Kain, and together they, like Edward and Vanille, worked to fix the broken pieces of their lives. But that is a story for another time.

When Fang was found, Edward hosted a grand party. Vanille couldn't have been happier, even going as far as kissing Edward on the cheek in public to express her graditude.

But then fear began to well up inside him. Now that Vanille found her friend, would both return home together? Edward hoped not, personally. He did not admit it aloud, but he had fallen in love with Vanille, and he had hoped that she shared those feelings. However, the fates had always been cruel to him, and thus he expected a good-bye from Vanille on the morning after the party.

Instead, he got a rather pleasant surprise.

Both women would stay, Fang staying with Kain as he returned to Baron redeemed, and Vanille would keep to Edward's side. When asked why, Vanille looked away, pausing before admitting a deep feeling in her heart;

"I love you."

Edward could have been described as the happiest man in his life, and he found he could not fight off the smile on his face as he, too, declared his love for her. And in the same breathe, he fell to one knee and asked for Vanille's hand in marriage. He suddenly heard a squeal, arms throwing themselves around his neck, and the two tumbled over onto his bed, laughing and crying at the same time.

And as the clouds slowly revealed the brilliant sun in the sky, the two shared a kiss, finally whole again.

~Fin~

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><p><strong>So I strangely felt attracted to this pairing. This couple is basically unheard of, yet I couldn't help but fall in love with the idea of Edward and Vanille being a couple. Peace out! ;)<strong>


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